Writer’s Workshop: Experiences in Social Media

This is going to be my first entry for the Mama’s Losin It writing workshop. I know I am a guy and all, but some guys like to Blog as well!

Anyway, I went through the list and the only thing which appealed to me was #5 a good or bad experience with social media. I am not completely sure if this justifies in the category but I am going to use it anyway!!

I do watch a lot of YouTube (and hope to get myself on there soon, but first things first). But the only social media which has had an impact at all in my life was Internet Dating. I mean it IS interaction with another person which I met through the internet. There were exchanges of emails, IMs and even webchats so I think this justifies.

About 4 years ago I moved back to Long Island to help my Dad grieve and then get past the death of my mom. After a year and a half, dad was feeling better and starting to get out on his own doing rather than sit home and watch TV so I decided it was time for me to find my own place to live. I looked in the local paper but there weren’t any apartments catching my attention especially with the prices here on Long Island being CRAZY!!!

I was on AIM talking to a friend and she suggested Craigslist so I looked. I looked for about 2 hours and, although there were a ton of apartments to rent, nothing seemed decent and they all seemed to have agent fees associated with them. So I went to the home of Craigslist and noticed they had personal ads. I had no idea so I check them out. I mean I wasn’t dating anyone and since I was looking to move I figured, why not.

The first ad I clicked seemed the typical Long Island girl I have had the most interaction with. It went something like this:

I’m young and hot so if you are rich and want to be seen with me, send me a picture and MAYBE I will email you back. Yeah, this is someone I am going to contact. Someone like this is DEFINITELY someone to bring home to meet the family and hope my nephew throws up when she is holding him. Needless to say, I was very turned off by this, as anyone with any self-respect and common sense would be and was surprised that dating had become this.

The next ad I clicked was really good. She seemed very sweet and down to earth. She had a picture and she was very cute so I wrote to her. I think she wrote back the next day and we wrote back and forth a couple of times, then she gave me her number and we talked on the phone. Less than a week later we went out for the first time and about 10 months after that we were engaged and now we are expecting our first child!

At first I was a little embarrassed to admit that I met my wife online but my best friend met her now husband online. They were even married a week after us.

So not only does this tell me how Social Media can help change your life, as mine has changed in a major and GREAT way, but it also shows that love is found wherever you look and to never be embarrassed but what you find or where you find it!